House Arrest
by DemonSaya
Summary: Sano goes to Megumi to get his hand wrapped and gets put under house arrest. One week, without leaving the clinic...or Megumi (Who can tell this is going to be waffled...) *UPDATED*
1. Prolouge

House Arrest  
  
Prolouge  
That damn smile. That damn quirky, know-it-all, sexy, impossibly   
sensual smile. Ruby lips just barely quirked at the corner as she threw   
an insult at him, parted as she breathed, but always turned up in that  
damn smile. It was those lips that he'd first noticed, parted for lost  
breaths, white teeth glistening.  
  
Then those damn eyes. Soft, sensitive, cinnamon swirled with mocha,   
irresistable. Eyes that flashed in anger when irritated with his stupidity,   
softened as she wrapped his hand, cold when she was hurt.  
  
It always amazed him how well he could read her. His eyes would dart   
between what her lips were saying to him, and what her eyes would say,   
mezmerized, barely hearing her words, but always remembering them   
later, with an almost frightening clarity.  
  
Damn that smile.  
  
Sano finally managed to break his eyes away from Megumi's beautiful   
face, trying not to notice the care with which she rewrapped his hand.   
Unfortunately, every time he looked near her, his eyes would be drawn   
to her. She was an irrisistable force, beautifully distant, incredibly cool.  
  
Her skin was the most incredible shade of cream, one that seemed   
impossible if you didn't see her. Almost white, but with the softest hint of   
peach and pink. Her nose was graceful, her eyebrows narrow and   
arched. Her throat was a narrow collumn of ivory, almost translucent.  
  
And her hands. Her hands were incredible. Soft and white, caring and   
gentle, even when dealing with a moron like himself. Always quick to   
sooth any ache or pain one may feel. Long, fine boned fingers, and   
rounded nails, a narrow palm, tiny wrist... 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1~Sunday and Monday  
"Sanosuke, did you hear a WORD I just said?"  
  
He was startled out of his thoughts, and stared at her for a moment,   
dumbly. "Huh?"  
  
"Very intelligent Rooster..." She frowned deeply. "I'm putting you on   
house arrest for the next week. Maybe then you'll give this hand a   
chance to heal."  
  
"H-HOUSE ARREST?!"  
  
She nodded, grimly. "I didn't want it to come to this, but since you refuse   
to head my warnings, you leave me no choice."  
  
Sano stared at her for a moment. House arrest? He wondered. What   
the hell is this? "Where would I be staying? Here?" He snorted. "If I   
stay at my place or Kamiya dojo, I can just sneak out any ole time."  
  
She nodded. "I took that into consideration. Since I think jailing you   
wouldn't do much good for what little sense you have left, you will be   
staying with me for the next week."  
  
"How do you know I wont just sneak out of your place?"  
  
"Because, I'm a very light sleeper." When I actually sleep. She shook   
her head a bit. "Doctors order."  
  
Sano pondered his situation for a moment. A week with the fox so she   
could keep an eye on him didn't sound altogether too bad. He could be   
around her all the time, and try to win her over. He grinned a bit,   
something reminiscent of his old Zanza grin. "Sure, onna, whatever you   
say."  
  
She saw the grin. "Wipe that grin off your face, Sano. You're not going   
to do ANYTHING with that hand for a week. And that includes bapping off."  
  
He stared at her incredulously. "Bapping off...?" He burst into loud   
laughter, unable to believe that she'd just said that. Her look however   
shut him up. Plus the fact that there was one of those scalpel things   
nearby. He smothered his laughter, his eyes drawn to those eyes again.  
  
Hurt.  
  
His eyes widened and he shook it off. "Ne, onna...don't talk like that.   
You'll make other's wonder about us." He held his breath, hoping to see   
the flash of anger in her somehow dead eyes.  
  
She snorted, pulling her eyes away from his. "Don't be stupid, rooster   
head." She said coldly, standing upright. "Now go rest that hand before   
I decide to break it myself."  
  
He nodded, walking past her, just close enough that he could smell her   
scent, an irrisistable, exotic, ecciting fragrance that never failed to send   
his pulse through the roof. He paused for a brief moment, wishing the   
hand closest to hers was not the one that was always wrapped. "Fox..."   
He started softly.  
  
A new patient entered the room, causing him to snap his mouth shut.   
"Later..." He said, walking into the back room and sitting against the   
wall, and cursing himself for lost opportunity.  
  
***  
  
Megumi closed the clinic for the day and went into her small rear room,   
where she always stayed in case there was a late night emergency, and   
she was needed. To her surprise, Sano lay slumped against the wall,   
fast asleep. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered her order.   
What the hell was I thinking? She wondered, moving towards her small   
closet and pulling a short yukata from it. She stepped behind the   
sepparation screen, and slipped out of her doctor's smock and kimono,   
slipping on the yukata.   
  
She was tired.  
  
She was so tired, in fact, that rather than picking up the smock so it   
would be wrinkle free in the morning, she left it and the kimono on the   
ground, moving towards her futon and laying down. She stared at the   
ceiling a long time pondering the day.  
  
Damn his carelessness. She sighed, turning onto her side, glaring at his   
sleeping form. The broken hand lay on the floor while the other one was   
on his lap, curled into a fist. She could see the tenseness on his face   
and how lightly he seemed to sleep. He didn't even snore.  
  
She always thought he'd snore.  
  
Her eyes softened as she stared at him. She knew that he was coarse,   
and unrefined, and totally uncouth, but some how that appealed to her.   
She worried about him constantely, although she made smart assed   
remarks about him, and always called him horrible names.  
  
She didn't want to care about him.  
  
She traced his sleeping, but hardly peaceful face and sighed softly. But   
the problem was, she did. She had promised never to care for anyone   
after what Kanryuu had done to her. No one would want her now.   
Especially not Sano. If he ever did in the first place.  
  
He was so delightful sometimes. He'd always match her insult for insult,   
yet she could tell there was no fire behind them. He insulted her for   
sport. There was always that wonderful mirth in his eyes, that sexy grin   
on his face. Plus...  
  
He'd saved her.  
  
Despite her having made the opium that killed his friend, he'd stopped   
her from killing herself. He'd come for her when she'd gone back to   
Kanryuu.  
  
Tightly, she closed her eyes, finding sleep difficult. She stood and   
walked out of the room, to brew some tea. To her complete surprise,   
she found one of Ayame and Suzume's stuffed toys laying around, and   
she picked it up carefully. It was a stuffed bear, worn and soft, beaded   
eyes shining up at her. She smiled slightly, and poured herself some   
tea. Sitting in a chair and sipping her tea, she stared at the bear.  
  
She continued to hold it, staring at it, long after the tea was gone. A   
smile crossed her lips as she realized Sano would tease her in the   
morning if he saw her cuddled up with a stuffed animal, but she honestly   
didn't care. She walked back into her room and lay down, letting her   
eyes drift closed as the mild sedative she'd slipped into her tea went into   
affect.  
  
***  
  
Sano woke with a start but didn't move, hearing Megumi reenter the   
room. He kept his eyes closed, not looking at her. He heard her lay on   
the futon and slowly, her breaths slowed into soft sleep breaths. Slowly,   
he lifted his eyes and stared at her.  
  
Simply beautiful.  
  
He smiled a bit, noting she'd crawled into bed with one of Ayame and   
Suzume's stuffed toys and shook his head. He stood slowly, looking   
around the room. He caught sight of her kimono's and smock carelessly   
laying on the floor and frowned. He decided she must have been tired   
and cursed himself for not being more of a help today.  
  
Silently, he walked over and picked up the smock, folding it up carefully   
and setting on a nearby dresser, then picked up her kimono, draping it   
over the sepperation. Unable to resist, he held the kimono's soft silken   
fabric to his nose for a moment then inhaled deeply.  
  
Incredible.  
  
He held it there for a moment, then kissed it, letting it slip between his   
fingers. With soft steps so he wouldn't wake the doctor, he crept out of   
the room to go grab a few of the doctors riceballs, grinning   
mischeviously. When he entered the kitchen, he saw a cup of tea on the   
table, with a teapot, as well as a mysterious brown bottle. He frowned,   
noting the cap was off an picked it up, wafting some of the strong   
smelling liquid towards his nose.  
  
His heart froze.  
  
It was laudnum.  
  
His appetite forgotten, he collapsed back into a chair, staring at the   
bottle, shocked. He couldn't believe the down to earth doctor was using   
laudnum. So many women these days were getting addicted to the   
drug, and he was terrified that Megumi may become one of these   
women.  
  
He didn't know how long he sat there staring at it. He didn't notice when   
the sun rose, or hear the first soft bird calls.  
  
He felt numb.  
  
***  
  
Megumi woke to find Sano was no longer leaning against the wall   
asleep. For a moment, she wondered if he'd forgone doctors orders and   
run out to go gambling and cursed, jumping out of bed, and wrapping a   
long robe around her. She noticed her kimono had been hung and her   
smock folded and frowned.  
  
"Did Sano...?" She wondered aloud. She shrugged it off and hurried   
into the main room, looking around. Her eyes caught sight of a faint   
flickering candle from the kitchen and walked towards it.  
  
To her complete surprise, Sano was sitting there, a familiar brown bottle   
in his hand, a dumbstruck look on his face. "Sano...?" She asked softly,   
walking towards him. His eyes were utterly confused as he looked towards   
her.  
  
"Laudnum...?" He asked, the confusion in his voice making her heart   
break.  
  
She walked towards him and took the bottle from him, screwing the cap   
back on. "Don't worry about it, Rooster head. It's none of your   
business." She stuck the bottle into a cabinet, not looking at him as she   
walked out of the kitchen.  
  
He followed her, grabbing her arm. "Megumi." He said seriously, his   
eyes holding a deep concern. "Why are you using laudnum."  
  
It wasn't a question. She flinched, tearing her arm from his grasp. "I   
said it's none of your business, Sagara!" She fled to her room, and   
behind the sepperation, getting a fresh kimono and donning it, then   
putting on her doctors smock to go out into the treatment room. When   
she arrived, she saw Sano sitting against a wall, chewing on a fishbone   
and not looking at her.  
  
She began to grind medicine's, a sixth sense telling her that she   
wouldn't be getting many patients today. She glanced towards Sano   
and saw him staring at her with deep concern in his eyes. "Don't look at   
me like that..." She said, her guard immediately going up.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"With concern. I don't need it." She looked back to her medicines, her   
eyes angry.  
  
He frowned a bit. "Maybe I want ta worry." He said, standing and   
walking towards her. "Fox, I don't want ta see you get hurt." He said,   
gently brushing some hair from her face.  
  
She slapped his hand away, and cursed when she noticed it was the   
broken one. "Dammit...sit down..." She gestured to the other seat.  
  
He obediently took the seat and let her unwrap the hand and gently   
examine it. He tried to ignore the gently sweeping fingers across the   
back of his hand and fingers. "I'm alright, fox, I haven't used it since I   
was put on 'house arrest'." He grinned a bit, in that irritating manner that   
always sent her heart racing.  
  
"Maybe, but I'm still going to be giving this hand daily checkups. I want   
to make SURE it's healing." When she turned over his hand, the true   
reason she'd done this made itself known. There was a narrow scar on   
the palm of Sano's hand.   
  
She knew he was trying to do the same thing about the laudnum.  
  
He saw her gaze on the scar and saw the sadness in her eyes and   
silently closed his fingers around hers. "Fox..." He said gently,   
his other hand going to brush a strand of hair from her face.  
  
She slowly lifted her gaze to his and saw something almost steamy in his   
gaze, a fierce protectiveness, a deep concern, a strong longing. She   
found herself captivated, and unconsiously, she leaned towards him,   
wondering if she was still under the effects of the drug she'd put in her   
tea.  
  
He laid a hand on her shoulder, holding her steady. His hand was   
screaming at him, but he didn't care. Her hand was tucked into his, her   
fingers holding his. He leaned towards her slowly, licking his lips.  
  
The door opened and Dr. Genzai walked in, his face cheerful. "Ohayo,   
Megumi-san!"  
  
The pair jerked apart and suddenly, Sano was sitting on the other side of   
the room, his hand somehow bandaged again, leaning against the wall   
and chewing on a fishbone.  
  
Megumi had gone back to grinding medicine as if nothing had   
happened. She looked up and smiled. "Genzai-sensei, Ohayo   
gozaimasu."  
  
Sano grunted in reply.  
  
Genzai shook his head in disapproval. "Sano, have you been using that   
hand again?!"  
  
Sano blinked, staring at the aged doctor. "Yeah." He grinned. "I even   
got put on house arrest by the fox over there." He gestured with his   
head, trying to put the cinnamon eyes clouded by desire from his mind.   
Just the drug...he told himself. "I'm gonna be in the back room..." He   
shot a glance at Megumi before he left and saw the usual cool,   
dispassionate look on her face. Inwardly, he sighed and disappeared   
into the back room.  
  
-End Chapter One-  
  
Now's the fun part at the end of the chapter where we do horrible things to Doctor Genzai!!! YAY!!! Hope you enjoyed Sano's first day under house arrest, but I feel I must explaing some of my plots and possible sub-plots now. As you can see I have made Megumi get SO damn irritable about him misusing his hand, she puts him under her own care for the next week. Why? Think like this: Long, extended period of time where they are almost ALWAYS in each other's company. Megumi lovers of the planet, don't kill me for making her a laudnum addict. Considering her past, and the possibilities of what had happened in it, I think her being a drug addict is not only possible, but PROBABLE. I love Megumi (As a character for all you ecchi males out there.), but my friend and I both agree this very well COULD happen. If you've actually read this far, thank you for listening to my lame excuses and stupid ramblings. ^_^ 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2~Tuesday and Wednesday  
  
  
Again, that night, Megumi couldn't sleep.  
  
Nightmares of when she was working for Kanryuu came   
back with a vengence, keeping her awake, not letting her   
sleep. Sano was once again, sleeping, lounged against the   
wall, and her mind kept morphing his face into Kanryuu's. A   
leering grin, and cruel eyes stared at her, no matter how she   
lay.  
  
Finally, she got out of bed and walked towards the basin of   
cold water in her room and dipped her hands in, bringing the   
icy water to her face. "Come on, Takani, get a grip." She   
said softly to herself. "He's in jail...he can't hurt you   
anymore..." She closed her eyes, standing on trembling   
legs. Taking a heavy breath, she walked towards the   
kitchen, for the tea and a sedative.  
  
She refused to believe she was addicted to laudnum, but   
every night would be a sleepless one, if it weren't for the   
drug. She brewed herself a pot of tea and poured a liberal   
amount of the bitter liquid into it. Suddenly, the teapot was   
pulled away from her by strong, imposing hands. Startled,   
she turned towards Sano.  
  
Silently, he looked from the tea to the laudnum, then went   
over to the sink, pouring both down the drain. He didn't look   
at her as he did this.  
  
She cried out in alarm. "Sanosuke, how DARE YOU?!" She   
beat her fists against him, tears streaking her face. "Give   
me the tea, please, Sano...oh, gods, please..."  
  
He looked towards her and she saw his determination   
waver. "I can't..." He whispered and started to pour it into   
the sink.  
  
She grabbed the teapot away from him, an almost feral   
expression on her face as she held it to herself, almost as if   
it were her baby and she was protecting it from a monster.   
"Mine..." She whispered, eyes feral. "MINE!"  
  
He knelt before her, reaching for it. "Fox, come on, don't do   
this...please..." He whispered.  
  
"MINE!"  
  
He closed his eyes and rested his hands on her shoulders.   
"Let me have the teapot..."  
  
"NO! Mine!" She began to sniffle. "I need it...I can't sleep,   
please, Sano...just a cup...just a little cup...please..."  
  
He opened his eyes, looking at her, his eyes pained. "I..."   
He looked away, then released her, his fists resting on the   
floor. "One cup, Megumi. Just so you can sleep." He said   
finally, his face hurt.  
  
"Sano, I know what I'm doing..." She said softly. "I don't   
ever use much..."  
  
He didn't look at her. "Go have your 'tea'." He said,   
standing and walking towards a window. "But it's almost   
morning as it is."  
  
She saw that there were traces of light in the morning sky   
and looked desperately down into her cup. Quickly, she took   
a gulp of it to soothe her nerves, and set it down.  
  
Sano saw and looked back out the window. "I'm worried   
about you, Fox." He said softly, looking back at her, his eyes   
somehow haunted.  
  
"Why in the world should you be worried?! I don't use it all   
the time, I certainly don't abuse it when I do." She turned   
away. It was a lie, and she knew it. Gradually, she'd begun   
to need more and more to sleep.  
  
Sano strode towards her and grabbed her shoulders, staring   
down at her, seriously. "Megumi-" He said softly. "I don't   
want you to end up like some of my friends...please..." He   
gently ran his hands to her upper arms and pulled her close.   
"Please, just don't use any more..."  
  
She gasped as she was embraced by him and felt her heart   
flutter in her chest. "S-sano..." She whispered, as he held   
her head cradled to his chest. She closed her eyes, leaning   
into the embrace. Somehow, being held by this man was a   
worlds away from how roughly Kanryuu had handled her.   
She slowly lifted a hand and clung to his gi.  
  
He rested his chin on top of her head, rocking her gently.   
"Would you stop for me...?" He whispered, gently caressing   
her fragrant hair.  
  
"H-hai..." She whispered in return.  
  
He smiled, kissing the top of her head unwittingly, his hand   
gently stroaking her back. "Yokatta..." He said, sighing.   
"Arigatou..."  
  
She felt the laudnum begin to take effect and leaned more   
heavily against him, her hands sporatically clenching his gi.   
"Only for you..." She whispered, pulling back and staring up   
at him. She knew she didn't know what she was saying, that   
it was just the drug, but she wanted.  
  
He saw her eyes holding that clouded look, this time,   
knowing that it was more the drug affecting her, than him.   
He had to resist her. He couldn't resist cupping her face   
between his hands, and leaning towards her. It's just the   
drug! His mind screamed. "Megumi..."  
  
"Kiss me..." The words came unbidden to her lips and fell   
forwards.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly, fighting an internal battle that she   
could tell he could lose if she pushed him.   
  
"Please..." She begged, her other hand going to his neck, to   
coax him closer to her. "Please, kiss me...Sano..." She saw   
his eyes slowly open and they were dark with need and   
bright with something that she couldn't name.  
  
He gave into her, his hands burying into her hair, his face   
leaning down and his lips touching hers. He caressed her   
lips gently at first, teasing them lightly, his tounge darting out   
to coax her into parting hers. As she did, he deepened the   
kiss, embracing her desperately. I love her...He realized,   
and pulled away from her lips slowly. "Megumi..." He   
whispered huskily, staring down into her eyes.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes, gazing up at him.   
"Please...kiss me..."  
  
He captured her lips again, his hands moving to her back to   
make long, loving stroaks, while her hands ran up and down   
his chest, then around to his back. He shuddered slightly   
under her touch, then forcefully pulled away from her,   
stepping back. He saw the confused look on her face and   
turned away slightly. "I...I have to stop now..." He   
whispered, to himself as well as to her.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Megumi, if I don't stop now, I'm not going to be able to...do   
you understand that?" He shook his head harshly.   
"Besides, you never acted like this before. Only after you   
had this damn drug. How can I be sure that you actually   
want me to kiss you? How can I know that it's not the drug   
that's making you...?" He closed his eyes tightly.  
  
Megumi grabbed the back of a chair and held it so hard, her   
knuckles turned white. "Y-you're right, Sanosuke...I'm   
sorry...I wont make further advances on you..." She turned   
away from and tried to walk towards the door when his hand   
gently caught her arm.  
  
"Megumi-" He shook his head fiercely. "I wont lie to you. I   
am fully willing to do...whatever you may want me to...but I   
don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you...I don't   
want that..."  
  
She looked back up at him, with tears glistening in her eyes.   
"I know...but I wanted you. I was sure of what I wanted for   
the first time since...I was employed by Kanryuu..." She felt   
a tear slide down her face and pulled her arm from his grasp.   
"Then again, you're right...It's probably just the damn drug..."  
  
He watched her walk away to go change and winced   
internally. He wanted her too, and gods, it had hurt like hell   
to push her away, but he did. He pushed her away, because   
he didn't want her to hate him later. He was protecting her   
from him. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his hands   
into fists. When he reopened them, he made a firm decision.   
He would not let her have any more laudnum, although she   
may hate him forever, he wouldn't let her get her hands on   
any more.  
  
***  
  
It was a busy day that day. Megumi was grateful. If she had   
been forced to spend most of the day with the silent, distant,   
Sagara Sanosuke, she'd have screamed. Or thrown him to   
the ground and had her way with him. She wasn't sure   
which.  
  
Such foriegn thoughts were the result of the brief time in the   
kitchen when he'd electrified her with his kisses and set her   
on fire with his touch. Then he'd pulled away. Prooved that   
no man in his right mind would ever want her. She was not   
the kind of woman a man fell in love with. She was the kind   
they looked at for a one night stand. Yet, Sano's kiss had   
held something Kanryuu seemed to have lacked.  
  
She couldn't readily name it, she had never felt such a   
drowning emotion before. No man's kisses had ever made   
her so wish to throw her caution to the wind and give herself.  
  
But he'd pulled away. She smiled at each new patient, and   
doctor Genzai, and his grandchildren. Who ever came in.   
Despite the heaviness in her heart, she forced a smile on her   
face and worked carefully with any old or new injuries. It   
was a full day.  
  
She was glad.  
  
Sano was all too aware of the tension between himself and   
the lovely doctor. He made a firm decision and closed his   
eyes slightly. He would not sleep lounging against the wall   
tonight. He would hold her as they slept tonight. He would   
comfort her, if she was afraid. He would be there for her if   
she needed him. But only if she would let him.  
  
The paper boy ran in and smiled, handing Megumi the   
paper.  
  
She smiled back, nodding greatfully at him. "Arigatou."  
  
When he ran out, she looked at the paper, then her face   
turned whiter than the china cup she'd drunk from this   
morning. The paper fluttered from her fingers, and she   
stared into nothingness.  
  
Sano saw the reaction, and picked the paper off the floor. In   
that moment, he understood what the problem was.  
  
Kanryuu had escaped.  
  
-End Chapter 2-  
  
I know, several people out there are thinking of all the wonderfully cruel things you could do to me. Again, in this chapter, I threw a little twist into the plot that should make things intresting. Just so you all know, Kanryuu is in here for the benifit of the story. I hate him as much as the rest of you ^.- Thanks for listening to my ramblings again. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3~Thursday and Friday  
Megumi was numb for the rest of the day, treating patients in some kind of daze. Finally, Genzai had forced her to go to the back room to rest. Sano had accompanied her. She sat on the futon and stared into nothing. It hurt to be alone with Sano after his rejetion that morning.  
  
Sano sat beside her, and gently touched one of her hands. "Can you tell me...?" He asked softly.  
  
Silently, she shook her head, although she allowed herself the small comfort of holding his hand.  
  
He traded hands, and slowly wrapped the other arm around her shoulders. "Why wont you let me try to help you...?" He whispered, guiding her head to his shoulder. "I don't like seeing you in pain, Megumi..." He whispered against her hair.  
  
She leaned against him, face haunted. "Why did he have to escape...He'd been caught...he was no longer part of my life...why'd he have to escape...?" She felt tears welling in her eyes and turned towards Sano, beginning to cry. "I'm scared..."  
  
He stiffened for a moment, then pulled her close, letting her cry against him. "It's okay, Megumi...I wont let him hurt you..." He whispered, stroaking her hair gently. "I swear it..." He rocked her gently. "I'll never let anything hurt you..."  
  
She lifted her eyes and stared at him. "Do you know what Kanryuu did to me?!" She whispered, her face pained. "He could kidnap me and you'd never find me..." She held him tightly, her eyes large with fear. "Gods, I don't want to be forced to work for him again..." She clung to Sano, staring up at him.  
  
He lifted a hand to her face, tenderly brushing the tears away from her face. "I swear it...He wont touch you..." He searched her eyes and realized all fronts had been discarded and let his down as well. "Meg, I love you...my heart wont let me not protect you from everyone, even if the one hurting you is yourself..."  
  
She broke away from him, refusing to look at him. "You LIE!" She whispered, hurt. "If you l-loved me, you wouldn't have pulled away from me this morning...you wouldn't have always called me all those horrible names...you'd let me have what I need..."  
  
He pulled her back to him, his arms tightly around her waist. "Megumi," he said gently, stroaking her arms gently. "I didn't want to pull away from you...I had to...because I don't want hurt either..." He caressed the shell of her ear with his lips and he continued to whisper to her. "If it wasn't what you wanted...I didn't want you to think I was the kinda bastard that would have taken advantage of you..."  
  
She shivered slightly, knowing he was right. "But the names..."  
  
"I called you names because I did not want everyone to know that I loved you..." He nuzzled her neck gently. "We both have reputations, but when I say your name...my hard-assed mask shatters..." He turned her towards him gently. "As for the laudnum, you don't need it." He caressed her hair, then cupped her face. "Megumi, whatever is haunting you...you need to let share your burden. Please, tell me..."   
  
She sniffled, looking away. "I...I don't know if I can..."  
  
He pulled her face close and kissed her lips gently. "Please...Megumi..."  
  
She looked at him, nervously. "Y-you wont...hate me...?"  
  
He sat on her bed and pulled her onto his lap. "I could never hate you..." He promised, touching her cheek lightly.  
  
She nodded slowly, snuggling close to him. "W-while I was employed for Kanryuu...I wasn't just the person who made his opium. He forced me..." She felt tears pierce her eyes. "To serve as the geisha, for himself, as well as any guests he may have..." She heard Sano's sharp intake of breath and waited for him to shove her away, but he only embraced her more tightly. "When I wouldn't cooperate...he'd beat me, then...r-r-rape me..." She looked away, feeling tears flowing down her face.  
  
He felt his blood boiling. "He raped you...?" He asked, gently caressing her hair. "How could someone do that..." He turned her face so he could stare down at her. "Megumi...I'm so sorry..." He caressed her face, then pressed a warm kiss to her forehead. "I'm so sorry..."  
  
She shook her head, holding his hand against her face. "How could you know...?" She asked, blinking away tears. "I shut my emotions off, but damn you, you made me feel again!" She couldn't stop it as her tears began with renewed vigor.  
  
He caressed her face a final time and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Megumi..." The ragged whisper was torn from him by her tears, from his inability to comfort her.  
  
"Tell me you don't hate me...?"  
  
"I'll never hate you." He promised. He lifted her face, cradling it between his hands. He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her gently, trying not to frighten her.  
  
She sighed happily as his lips lowered to hers, claiming them with a tenderness the fierce man's appearance hid. She slipped her hands into his gi and around him, pressing her chest to his. "Sano..." She whispered, sighing again.  
  
He rasped his lips across her cheek to her ear and bit it gently. "I wont pull away again..." He promised, licking the shell of her ear, his voice husky, thick.   
  
She pressed her face into his chest. "Could you just hold me for now...?"  
  
He stopped and looked down at her, his eyes soft. "I'll hold you forever, if it's what you want..." He murmered, rasping his lips across hers again. Gently, he laid her back, his lips caressing her's gently, his hands supporting her back and neck. He didn't make any further advances on her, but he did lay with half of his body on top of hers.  
  
She looked up at him and flushed darkly, feeling like a green young woman once again. "Sano..." She whispered, cupping his face. She watched as he leaned his face against her palm, his eyes falling closed. "A-anata..."  
  
He smiled, opening his eyes and looking down at her. "I guess it's better if we just held right now...until we're married of course..." He murmered, his lips caressing hers again.  
  
She moaned softly in her throat. "Was that a marraige proposal, Rooster-Head?" She asked, smiling.  
  
"You better believe it, Foxy Doctor..."  
  
She layed back, and her eyes slipped closed, as Sano's arms went around her, one hand playing in her hair. To her surprise, she dozed off in his arms, then the doze turned into a deeper sleep.  
  
"See, fox...?" He whispered, his lips turning up into a genuine smile. "All you had to do...was share your pain..." He rested his cheek against her breast and slowly dropped into a deep sleep as well.  
  
-End Chapter 3-  
  
WAIT!!! Don't close it down yet!!! I'm not done!!! There's still a sub plot I have to deal with!!! ::Eyes wide and panicked:: Come on, people! One more chapter!!! ;.; ^.- There's gonna be a fight soon...::Grins:: I knew that would get your attention. 


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